Combination web steering and guiding apparatus



Sept. 16, 1969 v ALEXEFF ETAL 3,467,292

COMBINATION WEB STEERING AND GUIDING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 5, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS ALEXANDER l/. ALEXEFF HARVEY SNYDER ailtzwmagawwy 6mm,

ATTORNEYS Sept. 16, 1969 A. v. ALEXEFF ETAL 3,467,292

COMBINATION WEB STEERING AND GUIDING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 5, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTORS ALEXANDER V. ALEXEFF HARVEY SNYDER ATTORNEYS United States Patent Oifice 3,467,292 Patented Sept. 16, 1969 3,467,292 COMBINATION WEB STEERING AND GUIDING APPARATUS Alexander V. Alexeif, Cleveland, and Harvey Snyder, Bay

Village, Ohio, assignors to Alexelf-Snyder Enterprises,

Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 5, 1967, Ser. No. 665,562 Int. Cl. B65h 25/26 US. Cl. 226-19 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A web steering and guiding apparatus having a pair of guide rolls which may be tilted with respect to the normal line of travel of web material guided thereby to correspondingly tilt the web material in such a manner as to reduce substantially the looseness and tightness in opposite edges of the strip ordinarily occurring during lateral displacement of the material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally as indicated to a combination web steering and guiding apparatus and more particularly to an improved steering and guiding apparatus for accurately maintaining web or strand material on center in a material processing line with minimum distortion and displacement of the material.

There are at present various types of web spreading and guiding apparatus available on the market which accurately maintain elastic web material on center in a processing line by spreading or stretching the material, but for obvious reasons these are unsuitable for use with materials which do not stretch, such as paper, and metals for example. The substantial force which is exerted by such apparatus on the material to effect displacement in the desired direction has a tendency to stretch or tear one side of the material and cause a looseness in the other side during such displacement. Even with tire fabrics there is undesirable distortion of the picks or wafts with the warp, and if the tire fabrics or other elastic material are processed at high speeds, the material may be moved rapidly to the side to achieve the required correction which could cause the material to overlap itself and result in material folds as the loose side of the material enters the next roll in the line.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above enumerated problems are substantially eliminated with the apparatus of the present invention thereby making it suitable for use with all types of materials, whether they be elastic or non-elastic. In general, such apparatus comprises a pair of axially spaced guide rolls mounted for simultaneous movement both laterally and angularly with respect to the web material physically to shift the web material in the desired lateral direction and steer the web material in the same general direction. As the rolls are moved in this fashion, they are tilted in such a manner as to tilt the web material with respect to its normal line of travel, much like a banked turn on a highway, which eifectively reduces the looseness in the high side of the material and the tightness in the low side created during normal displacement and distortion of the material as aforesaid.

It is accordingly a principal object of this invention to provide a novel steering and guiding apparatus for web material and the like by which correcting movements of the web material are made with very little distortion of the material, thereby making the apparatus suitable for guiding both elastic and non-elastic materials.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus with novel support means for tilting the guide rolls during lateral and angular shifting of the rolls with respect to the material which tilted guide rolls correspondingly tilt the web material.

Still another object is to provide such an apparatus with novel means for maintaining the supports for the guide rolls in parallel alignment with each other to reduce the loading factor on the roll bearings and permit accurate control of the movements of the rolls.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail an illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of a combination web guiding and steering apparatus in accordance with this invention shown guiding a web material;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation view of a preferred form of web spreading and guiding apparatus incorporating the principles of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 with parts of the apparatus broken away to show mountings for the guide rolls;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are respectively horizontal and vertical sections through the apparatus of FIG. 3 taken on the planes of the lines 4-4 and 5-5 to show the relative positions of the guide rolls and stabilizer tubes which maintain the guide roll shaft supports in parallelism; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are fragmentary vertical sections through the left roller shaft support assembly, FIG. 6 being taken on the plane of the line 6-6 of FIG. 4 and FIG. 7 being taken on the plane of the line 7-7 of FIG. 6 to show the manner of connection of the stabilizer tubes to the guide roll shaft end plates.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate schematically the web steering and guiding apparatus 1 of this invention which may be used to maintain a web or strip 2 of any desired length and width on the center line CL of suitable strip processing equipment, not shown. Should the web 2 which is traveling in the direction of the arrows wander a slight distance D off center on either side of the center line, the guide rolls 3 and 4 that comprise the apparatus 1 will automatically be canted so that the ends 5 of the rolls 3, 4 toward which the web 2 must move to correct the mis alignment are nearer the approach direction of the web than the other ends 6 to cause the web to move laterally toward the roller ends 5 as well known in the art.

During such lateral movement of the web 2, stresses are created in the web material opposing such movement which tend to stretch the side 7 away from the direction of lateral movement of the web and compress the other side 8 toward the direction of such lateral movement. When processing elastic materials such as tire fabrics or textile goods, some stretching and loosening of opposite sides of the materials is permissible, but not when the materials are substantially non-elastic such as paper and metals since these latter materials cannot be stretched without tearing or deforming the sides. Moreover, even with tire fabrics such stretching distorts proper alignment of the picks or wafts with the warp of the fabrics, and when elastic materials are processed at speeds above 50 yards per minute, fast correction of web alignment may produce noticeable distortion and displacement of the web, whereby when the web leaves the guide rolls 3 and 4, the loose side 8 of the web 2 will have a tendency to overlap itself, forming material folds as it enters the next roll 9 in the line.

With the apparatus 1 of the present invention, however, both the associated stretching and looseness in opposite sides 7 and 8 of the web 2 are substantially reduced by tilting the guide rolls 3, 4 vertically with respect to the plane of travel of the web to cause the web material to tilt a corresponding amount in the region of the apparatus 1, between the idler rolls 9 at opposite ends of the apparatus, the loose side 8 being the high side and the tight side 7 the low side. The tension in the low side 7 and slack in the high side '8 is minimized because of the increased distance traveled by the high side as compared to the low side between the idler rolls 9. Accordingly, even when tire fabric material is processed at low tension and relatively high speeds, there is little chance of material foldmg.

The guide rolls 3, 4 are always maintained parallel to each other during tilting and canting, whereby the angle of wrap of the web material around the top of the first roll 3 and bottom of the second roll 4 will remain constant across the entire width of the web regardless of the cant or tilt of the rolls. Thus, there is no tendency of the rolls to progressively stretch the sides of the material away from each other which stretching could not be tolerated when processing non-elastic materials. However, the material does have a tendency to climb the titled rolls and accordingly the rolls are always tilted upwardly in a corrective direction. The rolls 3, 4 may also be physically laterally shifted a slight amount in the corrective direction during tilting and canting of the rolls as aforesaid to further assist in maintaining proper web alignment by actual physical lateral displacement of the web.

These combined movements of the web material in a corrective direction, namely, the steering of the web by canting the rolls 3, 4 and bodily shifting the rolls and web laterally, and the guiding of the web by raising and lowering opposite ends of the rolls, reduce substantially the amount of steering required, whereby there is less stretching or tearing of the material 2, and the tilted rolls also reduce such stretching and tearing, making it possible to guide non-elastic materials as well as elastic materials with the apparatus 1. Corrective movements of the web in the direction opposite to that illustrated are effected in substantially the same manner except that the rolls 3, 4 are laterally shifted, canted and tilted in the reverse direction.

Turning now to FIGS. 3-7, there is shown a complete embodiment of an apparatus 1 by which the various movements of the guide rolls 3, 4 described above may be achieved. The apparatus 1 shown comprises a rectangular frame 15 having a pair of laterally spaced roll support assemblies 16, 17 suspended from the top plate 18 for supporting the rolls 3, 4 therebetween in a manner to be subsequently explained. The roll support assembly 16 may consist of a pair of links 20 having their upper ends pivoted between a pair of downwardly depending ears 21 by a pin 22 and their lower ends similarly pivoted by a pin 23 extending between the side walls 24 of a yoke 25. The base 26 of the yoke 25 has an end plate 27 projecting downwardly therefrom which end plate is provided with laterally spaced sockets 28, 29 for receipt of spherical bearings 30, 31 on the ends of the roll shafts 32, 33 The guide rolls 3, 4 are journalled for rotation on their shafts 32, 33 by cartridge bearings 35 (see especially FIG. 3 in this respect).

The roll support assembly 17 is quite similar in construction to the roll support assembly 16 and accordingly the same reference numerals followed by a prime symbol are used to designate like parts. However, the axes of the pivot pins 22, 23 for the links 20' are not parallel to the axes of the pivot pins 22, 23 for the links 20. Rather, the axes 22, 22 and 23, 23' as angularly disposed with respect to each other and desirably intersect upstream of the strip 2 in planes parallel to the general direction of strip travel.

Normally, the upper pivot pins 22, 22' for the links 20, 20' are located laterally inwardly with respect to the lower pivot pins 23, 23, whereby swinging of the links 20, 20 toward the right as shown in phantom lines in FIGS. 3 and 4 will cause a raising of the right end 5 of the rolls 3, 4 and a lowering of the left end 6 for tilting of the rolls 3, 4 and web material 2 wrapped therearound. During such swinging movement the rolls 3, 4 and web 2 are also bodily shifted in a lateral direction and the rolls are canted in such a direction that the higher end 5 of the rolls is toward the oncoming web and the lower end 6 of the rolls is toward the downstream end for guiding and steering of the web material toward the high side of the rolls.

The rolls 3, 4 are always maintained parallel to each other by a pair of vertically spaced stabilizer tubes 35,

I 36 rigidly connected at their ends to support plates 37 having arms 38 projecting therefrom by which the support plates 37 are pivoted to the end plates 27, 27 at 39 for swinging movement in planes parallel to the web travel to permit canting of the guide rolls 3, 4 as previously described. Such stabilizer tubes 35, 36 transmit the load from one roll support assembly 16 or 17 to the other which would otherwise be transferred through the spherical bearings 30 and roll shafts 32, 33 with consequent damage and wear to the spherical bearings and twisting of the roll shafts. In addition, such stabilizer tubes always maintain the end plates 27, 27' perpendicular with respect to the web travel which is important if the extent of vertical movement of opposite ends of the rolls during lateral shifting is to be accurately controlled. An actuator cylinder 40 may be provided for controlling the movement of the guide rolls 3, 4 as described above in response to signals from edge sensors 46 in known manner located adjacent one or both edges of the web material as shown schematically in FIG. 1. The actuator assembly 40 may be pivotally connected at 41 to a side 42 of the frame 15 and have its rod 43 pivotally connected at 44 to the lower pin 23 of the roll support assembly 16.

Although two guide rolls are shown, it should be understood that three or more such guide rolls could be used if desired, all mounted in the same way as previously described, with the web material threaded therebetween, or a pinch roll could be used to press the web material against one of the guide rolls in a manner well known in the art.

From the above discussion, it can now be seen that the apparatus of the present invention is of a simple and unique construction which steers the web material by canting the rolls and bodily shifting the rolls laterally, and guides the web material by raising and lowering opposite ends of the rolls. Accordingly, the steering need not be as abrupt as would otherwise be required and consequently there is less stretching and tearing of the material. The rolls are maintained parallel to each other as they are tilted and canted, whereby the material is tilted to the same extent while the angle of warp of the material through its width remains constant so that there is substantially no stretching of the material toward the edges and there is a substantial reduction in the tightness on the low side of the material and looseness on the high side normally caused by distortion and displacement of the material. Thus, there is little danger of the tire fabric material folding at low tension, and even substantially non-elastic materials such as paper and metals may be guided with the apparatus of the present invention.

Other modes of applying the principles of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

We, therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention:

1. Apparatus for guiding web material and the like with minimum stretching and loosening of opposite sides of the material during lateral movements thereof comprising a pair of guide rolls contacted by the web material passing therebetween, means mounting said guide rolls for lateral movement to raise and lower opposite ends of said guide rolls, and means for maintaining said guide rolls parallel to each other during such lateral movement whereby the angle of wrap of the web material around said guide rolls will remain substantially constant and uniform across the entire width of the web material for all positions of said guide rolls, said means mounting said guide rolls for lateral movement comprising links having one of their ends pivotally connected to the ends of said guide rolls, and a support to which theother ends of said links are pivotally connected, the pivotal connections to said support being normally located laterally inwardly of the pivotal connections to said guide rolls, whereby the initial swinging of said links causes a corresponding raising and lowering of opposite ends of said guide rolls, said means for maintaining said guide rolls parallel to each other during such lateral movement comprising end plates pivotally suspended from said links adjacent opposite ends of said guide rolls, said guide roll ends being journaled in said end plates.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising stabilizer tubes between said end plates for transmitting loads between the links at opposite ends of said guide rolls.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pivotal connections of said links at opposite ends of said guide rolls are angularly disposed with respect to each other with their axes intersecting on the upstream side of the web material, and there is a universal connection between said links and guide rolls, whereby the ends of said guide rolls which are raised during such swinging movement of said links are simultaneously moved in an upstream direction and the ends of said guide rolls which are lowered during such swinging movement are simultaneously moved in a down stream direction for steering of the web material while being guided by the rolls.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for sensing the position of the edge of the web material, and an actuating cylinder for controlling the movement of said links in response to signals from said edge sensing means.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said universal connection between said links and guide rolls comprises spherical bearings on said guide roll ends, and sockets in 'said end plates for receipt of said spherical bearings.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising stabili'zer tubes between said end plates, said stabilizer tubes being pivotally connected to said end plates for lateral movement of said stabilizer tubes in planes parallel to the general direction of web travel, whereby said end plates are always maintained generally perpendicular to the general direction of web travel.

7. Combination web guiding and steering apparatus comprising a support frame, a pair of laterally spaced vertically extending end plates having links pivotally connected at one end to said end plates and at the other end to said support frame for permitting lateral movement of said end plates by swinging movement of said links while maintaining the vertical disposition of said end plates, and a pair of guide rolls having universal connections at their ends with said end plates, the pivotal connections for said links at opposite ends of said guide rolls being in planes parallel to the general direction of web travel and angularly disposed with respect to each other whereby the ends of said guide rolls are moved in opposite directions for canting of the rolls during lateral movement of the end plates and guide rolls supported thereby.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the pivotal connections to said support frame are normally located laterally inwardly of the pivotal connections to said guide rolls, whereby the initial swinging of said links causes a raising and lowering of opposite ends of said guide rolls.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said guide rolls are spaced from each other along the path of travel of the web material and there are a pair of idler rolls spaced from opposite sides of said guide rolls along the path of travel of the web material, the axes of said idler rolls being generally parallel to the axes of said guide rolls and in substantially the same plane, such web material engaging one side of one of said guide rolls and the same side of the adjacent guide roll, and opposite sides of the other idler roll and adjacent guide roll, such web material being tilted between said idler rolls during lateral movement of the guide rolls to cause an increase in the distance to be traveled by the low side of the web material and a decrease in the distance to be traveled by the high side of the web material between said idler rolls.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising stabilizer tubes between said end plates for transmitting loads between the links at opposite ends of said guide rolls, means for sensing the position of the edge of the web material, and an actuating cylinder for controlling the movement of said links in response to signals from said edge sensing means.

11. Apparatus for guiding web material and the like with minimum stretching and loosening of opposite sides of the material during lateral movements thereof comprising a pair of guide rolls contacted by the web material passing therebetween, means mounting said guide rolls for lateral movement to raise and lower opposite ends of said guide rolls, said guide rolls being spaced from each other along the path of travel of the web material, and a pair of idler rolls spaced from opposite sides of said guide rolls, along the path of travel of the web material, the axes of said idler rolls being generally parallel to the axes of said guide rolls and in substantially the same plane, such web material engaging one side of one of said guide rolls and the same side of the adjacent guide roll, and opposite sides of the other idler roll and adjacent guide roll, such web material being tilted between said idler rolls during swinging of the guide rolls to cause an increase in the distance to be traveled by the low side of the web material and .a decrease in the distance to be traveled by the high side of the web material between said idler rolls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,107,036 10/1963 Richards et al. 226-19X 3,254,818 6/1966 Jacobsen 226-19 X 3,300,114 1/1967 Jacobsen 226-19X ALLEN N. KNOWLES, Primary Examiner 

